A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to SLC!
by LuckyLadybug
Summary: Ahhh . . . The wacky tale of how the author met up with the inimitable Nack the Weasel!


Sonic the Hedgehog  
A Funny Thing Happened to Me on the Way to SLC!  
By Lucky_Ladybug  
  
  
Disclaimer: Nackie is Sega's!! LOL, the story idea came from my weird mind, tho ;) And I don't drive yet, hehe, but I wish!! (That was totally irrelevant!) The stuff about Fred the car and SLC is accurate, just in case you wanted to know ;)  
  
  
The night was gray and cloudy, just as I like it. Snow was falling from the sky in large flakes, covering the car, the ground, and anything and everything that interrupted its path.  
  
"What a night to be out, Fred," I said to the family car, a 1986 Ford Tempo, activating the windshield wipers. The Salt Lake City valley hadn't seen a heavy snow storm like this one for quite some time and now it came, during the first winter following the arrival of my much-anticipated driver's license! "It's getting harder to see," I muttered. In addition to my beloved snow, an equally beloved fog was starting to gather. Beloved to look at when I was somewhere stationary, or even in the car, but maybe a lil less beloved if I was the one driving!  
  
Without warning, something suddenly came out of nowhere, flying up on Fred's hood. It let out a pitiful yelp. I slammed on the brakes, shrieking, "Oh my heck!! I hit something!"  
  
As Fred screeched to a stop, I threw the door open and was out of the car instantly, frantically looking around. The freeway connecting Salt Lake City and Bountiful was unusually quiet tonight, and my car seemed to be the only one around. Finally I spotted whatever it was, laying in the snow nearby, just off the road, where it had fallen after crashing into Fred's windshield. "Please don't be hurt," I whispered, brushing my dark brown hair out of my line of vision and kneeling in the snow next to it.  
  
The glow from Fred's headlights lightened things up a little. I could see that this was an anthropomorphic animal of some kind, with lavender-and-white fur that was soft and silky to the touch. His long crooked tail was spread out on the ground limply. He held a stun gun in his left hand and wore a battered Stetson cowboy hat, which had fallen over his closed eyes.   
  
Quickly I checked for a pulse. Thank heavens he's still alive, I thought, then proceeded to check for broken bones. There were none of those either. This lil guy was in amazingly good shape, considering he'd just whammed into Fred at heaven knows how many miles per hour! The only outward indication he'd been hurt at all was a scratch on his left shoulder . . . and the fact that the poor thing was unconscious. I hope he doesn't have any internal injuries, I worried.  
  
I pulled him close to me, trying to keep him warm, knowing I couldn't very well drag him into my car by myself. He shuddered, but didn't awaken.  
  
I stayed with him for five or ten more minutes. Then suddenly his eyes flew open. They were the deepest blue I had ever seen. "What happened?!" he moaned with a soft Texas accent.  
  
I stroked his soft fur, not quite aware of what I was doing. "I'm so sorry—I ran into you with my car! It was an accident. I'm so sorry! Are you hurt???"  
  
He grinned. "Slow down, lil missy. I remember now—you didn't hit me. I kinda had a little accident." He paused, looking embarrassed. "Some varmint pushed me off a snowmobile. Didn't want me askin' questions. Probably thinks I'm dead by now." He laughed, then struggled to stand up. "He's gonna get a surprise when I pop in on him!" He nearly fell over and I hastened to assist him.  
  
"Are you sure you should? Maybe I should go for help," I suggested.  
  
He shook his head. "Naw, I'm fine. Really." He shivered.  
  
"You're freezing!" I declared. "At least stay and get warmed up in my car."  
  
"Well . . . maybe for a few minutes." He sounded unsure.  
  
He limped over to the passenger door and got in. I got back in the driver's seat and turned on the heating.  
  
He looked at me curiously. "What're you doing out so late anyway, lil missy?" he asked.  
  
"I was just coming back from visiting my brother and my sister-in-law and one of my best friends. They all moved out to Bountiful." I smiled, remembering the fun times I'd had earlier that evening.  
  
He nodded. "Nice place, Bountiful." He paused. "May I ask your name?"  
  
"Christina . . . but you can call me Daisy," I added in a rush.  
  
He grinned. "They're both good names, I reckon."  
  
"May I ask *your* name?"  
  
"I have many names," he replied.  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"One collects a lot of nicknames in my line of work," he said.  
  
"Might I ask just what that is?" I demanded.  
  
He grinned again, his long fang gleaming as the snow continued to fall outside. "Bounty huntin'."  
  
I leaned back against the seat. That was something I hadn't expected to hear. "You're a . . . bounty hunter?" I asked.  
  
He nodded. "Yup. You can call me Nack."  
  
"Is that your real name or one of your 'many nicknames'?" I asked mischievously.  
  
"It's my real name," he admitted.  
  
"Hey, wait a minute!" I exclaimed. "I remember you—you're in the Sonic the Hedgehog comics!"  
  
Nack made a face. "Don't remind me. They don't portray me at all right."  
  
I half-smiled. "You know, I've been intrigued by you ever since I saw you in an advertisement for Triple Trouble . . . the game," I hurried to add. "You were standing there holding a red Chaos Emerald."  
  
Nack laughed. "I've checked out those games. Not too bad at that."  
  
"Hey," I said suddenly, "how come I didn't hear the snowmobile? There's not a lot of noise outside."  
  
"The critter put a silencer on it," Nack replied. "He's not supposed to drive a snowmobile down in the valley, so he uses the silencer when he's on 'illegal business,' or when he wants to sneak up on someone."  
  
"What a jerk!" I proclaimed.  
  
Nack chuckled. "That's one way to put it. He's not gonna be happy when I turn up at his office!"  
  
I laughed too. I found myself liking this rascal more and more. "You don't happen to live around here, do you?" I asked.  
  
"I live everywhere and nowhere," Nack replied with a shrug. "I have hideouts in most of the States." He paused. "I should get going."  
  
"Are you sure you're alright?" I asked worriedly.  
  
"Missy, I'm fine," Nack assured me. "They can't kill me! They can try, but I just won't die."  
  
He opened the car door and stepped out. I climbed out as well. "What are you going to do?" I asked. "Are you planning to walk in the snow?"  
  
He paused. "I have a few tricks," he replied.  
  
"Will I see you again?"  
  
"You never know." He tipped his hat to me. "Thanks, Daisy. Not everyone would be so hospitable about me crashing into their windshield."  
  
And then just like that, he was gone, sprinting away through the snow. I watched him go. He was something else. I gathered that he was quite the daredevil. Heck, maybe this wasn't even the first time he'd whammed into someone's windshield. I shook my head, suppressing a grin. I knew something else, too: I'd been very, very taken with him, and I hoped I would see him again someday.  
  
  
  
  
LOL, well, there you have it! That's how I met up with ol' Nackie! ^_~ Of course, I did see him again, and again . . . But that's another story! ;) 


End file.
